1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polishing compound for the enamel surfaces of teeth and, more particularly, to a malleable substrate of polishing compound for teeth.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Dental products used in the polishing process of a dental prophylactic procedure have changed dramatically in the past twenty years. In particular, the consistency of the product has changed to produce less splatter upon application of a rotating brush. For the benefit of patients, the palatability of the polishing compound has been enhanced by providing the patient with a choice of flavors.
Many years ago, the polishing compound used by a dentist or hygienist was packaged in a jar and the prophy cup attached to a dental hand piece was dipped into the jar and then the prophy cup was applied to the teeth. With the advent of potentially fatal diseases that may be present in an oral cavity, the use of a common jar as a source of polishing material for multiple patients was no longer medically acceptable. To avoid this potential medical problem, the polishing compound was packaged in small sealed containers with enough polishing compound to polish the teeth of a single patient. After a one time use, such a container was disposed of as waste to prevent the spread of disease to other patients.
For a dentist or hygienist to periodically reload the rotatable prophy cup attached to a conventional dental hand piece multiple times during a polishing procedure is very time consuming. As each procedure performed in a dental office must be efficiently carried out, the cumulative time spent reloading a prophy cup becomes significant and reduces the income per time generated. Moreover, due to inattention or clumsiness, the container may be dropped inadvertently and then must be replaced. Such replacement incurs further wasted time to retrieve a replacement container from a place of storage, open it and return to the patient to continue the polishing procedure.